Appellate Judging

Course Description:The courts of appeals play a central role in our legal system. They correct errors committed by the lower courts or agencies whose decisions they are reviewing, and they create legal rules for application in future cases. This class will explore these powers. It will also discuss the more practical procedural and substantive aspects of appellate review. Topics will include, among other things, how appellate courts perform their various functions, standards of review, institutional advantages and limitations of the courts of appeals, and the role of precedent. Grades will be determined based on class discussion and opinions that the students draft.